Rain
by detective-sweetheart
Summary: number 66 in my prompts list...A conversation outside the courthouse leads to a better understanding.


The sky has been looking cloudy ever since the morning, which, in all honesty, doesn't bother her. Coming out of the courtroom, she looks out the window above her, a wry smile crossing her face. The weather matches her mood perfectly. This case has been all her students have been able to talk about, and she is quite ready to be rid of it all. And to be rid of everything that came along with it.

Determined to leave the courthouse without being stopped, she walks a little faster than usual towards the main exit. The tests that she gave her freshmen and juniors a week and a half ago are still waiting to be graded and she hates to get behind…even if she does have an excuse. So she continues on, not noticing the second set of footsteps behind her own.

Cold air greets her when she pushes the main doors open to step outside. As usual, there is an assortment of people moving in and out of the courthouse and up and down the sidewalks. She reaches into her pocket to feel for her keys, still unaware that she is being followed until a voice calls out to her.

"You did the right thing back there." She turns to find him standing there, and shakes her head.

"That jury's verdict is gonna put that kid in prison for the rest of his life," she replies. He walks down a few steps until there's only about a foot between them and smirks.

"You trying to say you'd rather he got off?" he asks.

"No," she says. "I just don't think that being stuck in a cell is gonna help him any."

"So what would you have the courts do?" he asks. "Put him on probation? Give him the chance to kill again?"

"You make it sound like I'm all right with what he did," she protests. "I'm not. I just think that maybe being in a mental health facility or something…"

He cuts her off. "It's not that easy."

"I never said it was, or that it would be."

Silence falls between them then. Both of them are vaguely aware of the annoyed looks being cast in their direction because of where they are standing, but they ignore it. And finally, he speaks again.

"It's because he was one of your students, isn't it?" he asks. She sighs.

"No teacher wants to see a kid do this to himself, Detective," she tells him. "But the law is the law."

"And it doesn't give a damn about emotion," he says.

"Maybe if it did, things wouldn't seem as harsh as they sound," she remarks.

"Where would we be without those punishments?" he asks. "If people thought they could get away with it…"

"It'd never end," she says, finishing his statement.

The rain starts unexpectedly as soon as the last word leaves her mouth. She glares up at the sky, mock-scowling.

"Now it decides to rain," she says mildly. "I swear I've got the worst timing when it comes to the weather…"

He laughs and takes off his overcoat, placing it on her shoulders.

"That should keep you somewhat dry…for now," he says. They begin to walk again, this time together, and she looks up at him, smiling faintly.

"What about you?" she asks.

"I don't mind," he tells her. "How'd you get here?"

"I drove," she replies. "Didn't want to end up getting caught in the rain. Lot of good that did."

"Well, this could be a thunderstorm." he quips.

"With my luck, it'll probably turn into one," she says ruefully, fishing for her keys. She unlocks her car door and sighs before looking up at him again.

"It…ah…it was nice talking to you," she says, suddenly nervous. He eyes her for a moment before smiling.

"The feeling's mutual, then," he replies. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime?"

"That'd be nice," she says. He glances at his watch and sighs.

"I should probably head back," he says, and she nods absently. His eyes linger on her face for a few seconds longer before he turns and walks away, still smiling.

She, on the other hand, gets into her car, turns the ignition and leaves, distracted from her earlier thoughts of grading tests when she gets home.

It isn't until she's halfway over the bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn that she realizes she's still wearing his coat.

A/N: Yet another Made to Be Broken scene. I really love these prompt things. Maybe now that fic will actually get done instead of just sitting there...anyways...SVU's not mine, so yeah. I've learned to deal.


End file.
